Pak to repatriate Laden family

Islamabad: Pakistan has contacted governments of Saudi Arabia and Yemen for the repatriation of slain al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden`s three wives and their children, according to media reports.

The development came after a judicial commission probing the al-Qaeda chief`s presence in Pakistan announced on Thursday that it had withdrawn its order barring bin Laden`s family from leaving the country.

Authorities had contacted Saudi Arabia and Yemen to arrange for the repatriation of bin Laden`s widows and children, unnamed Pakistani officials were quoted as saying by CBS News and CNN. Bin Laden`s family, including his two Saudi and a Yemeni widow, has been in the custody of Pakistani security agencies since he was killed by US special forces during a raid in the garrison town of Abbottabad on May 2. "We have now completed our investigations and pieced together all that we wanted to know from these family members," a senior Pakistani intelligence official told CBS News.

US agents too had interviewed bin Laden`s family members, the official said. "I believe the Americans have done their interrogation, so I don`t think there is further need for US access to these people. Pakistan gave access to US officials some time back," he said.

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